Fort Worth’s newest restaurant, Taste, has officially announced its pay-what-you-can restaurant located at 1200 S. Main Street will open on Tuesday, December 5, 2017. Taste Project, the nonprofit organization the restaurant is a part of, and its Board of Directors, encourage all Fort Worth residents to come show support for the underlying issue of food insecurity throughout Tarrant County at the grand opening of this award-winning restaurant concept in the Near Southside.

Taste Project is a nonprofit organization designed to help feed, educate, and serve Tarrant County’s food insecure population, a total of 18.1 percent of Tarrant County’s overall community.

Taste Project is creating the only sustainable solution to end hunger in Fort Worth. Taste’s solution is a fresh and healthy pay-what-you-can restaurant where everyone in the community, regardless of financial means, can enjoy a healthy, high quality meal, made from seasonal ingredients from the surrounding area. The menu will have no prices. Patrons are simply asked to:

1) pay what you can afford;
2) pay what you would typically pay; or
3) pay what you would typically pay, plus a little extra.

“Soup kitchens are good, but not everyone feels good about going there. We hope the recognition from the James Beard Foundation allows us to better reach the underserved hungry in our community with dignity, love, and respect,” said Chef Jeff Williams, founder of Taste Project.

Taste received national recognition when Williams recently joined Denise Cerreta, founder of One World Every Body Eats, in accepting the 2017 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Award on behalf of all 60 pay-what-you-can cafes across the country. The James Beard Humanitarian of the Year award is given to an organization or individual working in the realm of food who has given selflessly and worked tirelessly to better the lives of others and society at large.

Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards have been referred to as the “Oscars” of the restaurant world and showcase the country’s top culinary talent. Awards are given in numerous categories from chefs to restaurants, books, journalism, broadcast media, and restaurant design, as well as lifetime achievement and humanitarian awards.

“We look forward to honoring the powerful work they’re doing to create a better food system,” said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation.

Fort Worth residents don’t have to wait until December to begin making a difference in our community. Volunteers make this concept work, and Taste is looking for 500 volunteers before opening day to assist with hosting, seating, event planning, and more. If you are interested in volunteering with Taste, sign up here.